Do One Thing: Come Prepared!

Do you ever find yourself heading into a busy day, a long meeting or class, or a car trip through unfamiliar territory and that uncomfortable feeling starts to creep up inside you? The fear that you will find yourself hungry with no good snack options around and no good way to excuse yourself to find some? This happens to me a lot. Just a couple months ago I attended two long back-to-back seminars in a hotel. Even though I was enjoying myself, when lunchtime came around I realized that: (1) I was unhappy with the lunch options available and (2) I was suddenly struck with the fear of finding myself hungry again during the long second session. That day I was lucky enough to have a car, a GPS and a large grocery store nearby (where I went crazy stocking up on strawberries, nuts & dark chocolate in case I got hungry later) but I could have avoided the whole mess by coming prepared! I usually don't leave the house without at least tossing an apple in my bag but there are plenty of other ways to have healthy options waiting for you when hunger strikes, no matter where you are.


Pack snacks that won't wreck your bag. I almost always carry around with snacks but I don't always eat them by the end of the day so, I try to pack things that won't spoil, rot or leak all over my purse if I forget to take them out at night. Apples and clementines hold up well, as do nuts, dried fruit, whole grain crackers and cereals, unbuttered popcorn, squeeze packs of nut butter and dark chocolate (Though once you open the package the chocolate can make a mess of your bag. Go for 60% cocoa content or higher).

Reusable baggies can be your cue. Reusable baggies aren't just an environmentally friendly option for packing your snacks, they can also serve as your reminder to pack them in the first place. Pick a brightly colored snack baggie, like the one pictured above (you can find them all over Etsy.com), and keep it in a visible and handy spot in your kitchen. Every time you see it you will be reminded that you need to pack some snacks for your next outing.

Eat at home. There is usually food provided at early morning meetings and conferences but I don't like coffee, I try to avoid juice (too much sugar, not enough fiber) and I'd rather not start my day with pastries and white flour bagels with full fat cream cheese if there is something with more nutritional value available to me (plus those foods aren't likely to keep you full and satisfied for long). So, I tend to eat a small healthy breakfast before these meetings to make sure I don't go hungry. Something with protein and either whole grain or fruit (for fiber). 

Plan smarter car trips. Get a small cooler and toss it in the backseat for car trips long or short. This ends up being especially handy if you will be passing any farms, farmers' markets or grocery stores, so you can keep things fresh. If you have a GPS or smartphone, use it to map out these places as well as healthy restaurants. I also like to fill my car with waters and the same kind of snacks I usually pack in my purse.

Stock up your desk at work. The office is one of the easiest places to stray from your healthy habits since a seemingly quiet day can become a crazy mess in the blink of an eye. If you can't get away from your desk for even 5 minutes you may resort to ordering greasy takeout, but you can avoid that by coming prepared! When I used to work in an office I kept 100% whole grain bread, peanut butter, 100% fruit spread and tea in my drawer, as well as fruit & yogurt in the fridge.

Figure out what keeps you full. I've figured out that there are a few things I can always count on to hold me over until my next meal: apples (fiber), sparkling water (gas bubbles) and milk-based drinks (protein). If I'm hungry too close to mealtime, and I'm running around the city, I might get an unsweetened skim tea latte and the milk keeps me full enough that I don't have to resort to munching on chips or sweets.

Find more tips on being prepared here:

Hit the Road... & Have Your Cake Too! - June 9, 2012 

8 Healthy office snacks from CookingLight.com - April 1, 2010
Do One Thing: Step up Snacktime at the Office - December 7, 2009

Image: Etsy.com / Seller: adamsblankie

Do you ever find yourself heading into a busy day, a long meeting or class, or a car trip through unfamiliar territory and that uncomfortable feeling starts to creep up inside you? The fear that you will find yourself hungry with no good snack options around and no good way to excuse yourself to find some? This happens to me a lot. Just a couple months ago I attended two long back-to-back seminars in a hotel. Even though I was enjoying myself, when lunchtime came around I realized that: (1) I was unhappy with the lunch options available and (2) I was suddenly struck with the fear of finding myself hungry again during the long second session. That day I was lucky enough to have a car, a GPS and a large grocery store nearby (where I went crazy stocking up on strawberries, nuts & dark chocolate in case I got hungry later) but I could have avoided the whole mess by coming prepared! I usually don't leave the house without at least tossing an apple in my bag but there are plenty of other ways to have healthy options waiting for you when hunger strikes, no matter where you are.


Pack snacks that won't wreck your bag. I almost always carry around with snacks but I don't always eat them by the end of the day so, I try to pack things that won't spoil, rot or leak all over my purse if I forget to take them out at night. Apples and clementines hold up well, as do nuts, dried fruit, whole grain crackers and cereals, unbuttered popcorn, squeeze packs of nut butter and dark chocolate (Though once you open the package the chocolate can make a mess of your bag. Go for 60% cocoa content or higher).

Reusable baggies can be your cue. Reusable baggies aren't just an environmentally friendly option for packing your snacks, they can also serve as your reminder to pack them in the first place. Pick a brightly colored snack baggie, like the one pictured above (you can find them all over Etsy.com), and keep it in a visible and handy spot in your kitchen. Every time you see it you will be reminded that you need to pack some snacks for your next outing.

Eat at home. There is usually food provided at early morning meetings and conferences but I don't like coffee, I try to avoid juice (too much sugar, not enough fiber) and I'd rather not start my day with pastries and white flour bagels with full fat cream cheese if there is something with more nutritional value available to me (plus those foods aren't likely to keep you full and satisfied for long). So, I tend to eat a small healthy breakfast before these meetings to make sure I don't go hungry. Something with protein and either whole grain or fruit (for fiber). 

Plan smarter car trips. Get a small cooler and toss it in the backseat for car trips long or short. This ends up being especially handy if you will be passing any farms, farmers' markets or grocery stores, so you can keep things fresh. If you have a GPS or smartphone, use it to map out these places as well as healthy restaurants. I also like to fill my car with waters and the same kind of snacks I usually pack in my purse.

Stock up your desk at work. The office is one of the easiest places to stray from your healthy habits since a seemingly quiet day can become a crazy mess in the blink of an eye. If you can't get away from your desk for even 5 minutes you may resort to ordering greasy takeout, but you can avoid that by coming prepared! When I used to work in an office I kept 100% whole grain bread, peanut butter, 100% fruit spread and tea in my drawer, as well as fruit & yogurt in the fridge.

Figure out what keeps you full. I've figured out that there are a few things I can always count on to hold me over until my next meal: apples (fiber), sparkling water (gas bubbles) and milk-based drinks (protein). If I'm hungry too close to mealtime, and I'm running around the city, I might get an unsweetened skim tea latte and the milk keeps me full enough that I don't have to resort to munching on chips or sweets.

Find more tips on being prepared here:

Hit the Road... & Have Your Cake Too! - June 9, 2012 

8 Healthy office snacks from CookingLight.com - April 1, 2010
Do One Thing: Step up Snacktime at the Office - December 7, 2009

Image: Etsy.com / Seller: adamsblankie